there's a reason that the world turns round
by ThePandorica
Summary: 'Quite frankly he isn't sure how to deal with it: how to deal with her.' - Hugo comforts Rose. Slight!RoseScorpius


_In the morning, when you wake up_

_Daytime fades up and your make up runs,_

_Just hold on, it sounds tacky,_

_But I'm hopeful __**there's a reason **_

_**That the world turns round.**_

_Dark on fire: Turin Breaks_

_**-:-**_

She comes to him one morning, early one morning, when the pinky hue of the sunrise is just kissing the edge of the horizon and outside there is nothing but silence. She's got make up down her face and tears in her eyes, and quite frankly he isn't sure how to deal with it: how to deal with _her. _He's never really been the first one she's turned to – despite being her brother and the closest thing she has to a sibling confidant. It's always been Scorpius or Victoire, but now it's him and it's _because_ of Scorpius that she's here in his room in the small hours of the morning.

As she launches herself into his room and clambers onto his bed, he can't help but feel his heart drop a little as she nudges him awake. What does _he_ know of comforting his older sister in the unfair game that is heartbreak? Rose is precisely two years older than him, and he's hardly the protective brother that James and Albus pride themselves in being to Lily. For a start they're actually older than their sister, so it's moot point really.

Still, as he shrugs himself awake to find Rose gulping back tears, despite her being seventeen and of age, he can't help but soften and wrap his arms around her whilst she buries herself gratefully into his chest. Nobody else is awake and the house lays silent, apart from Rose who's sniffling into his chest and hiccupping.

"What is it now Rose?" he asks, patting her a little awkwardly on the back as she sits up slowly. He can't help but notice that she's left mascara stains on his t-shirt, but never mind that. He needs to worry about her now.

"H-him," she explains, in between hiccups and the occasional unattractive sniff, "I caught him with t-that _bitch_ Amelia Carmichael, in the empty charms room up on fifth."

Shaking his head and trying to appear sympathetic, he sighs and turns to look his sister in the eye. "He's a bastard Rose, you'll get over him."

But seemingly this was not the right thing to say, as Rose hits his arm defiantly and wipes her eyes furiously. "No Hugo! Y-you don't get it, you don't understand him…"

He sniffs in indignation and rolls his eyes a little, but tries not to let his feelings about 'poisonous-snake-boy' affect his attitude to Rose. After all, she did come to him for _help_ rather than to be emotionally rejected by him.

"Sorry Rose. I can't he-" he stops himself again, and starts over trying to look a little more empathic, "You're much better off without him, you know."

But this doesn't seem to be the right thing to say either, as she pushes herself off his bed faster than he can say 'Quidditch' and with a soft sob starts to hiccup through tears. …Again.

Biting his lip, he quickly follows suit and, brushing the mop of caramel coloured curls out of his eyes, taps Rose tentatively on the shoulder.

"Look, I'm sorry. I guess I'm not good with these kind of things…" he begins, when Rose suddenly turns around to face him and gives him the biggest, scariest, hug of his life. He's not quite sure whether to burst out laughing or hug her back. Thankfully, he decides to choose the latter and hesitantly places his arms around her shoulders. Rose is taller than him - by about two inches as James constantly reminds him – and so his chin hardly rests on her shoulder, but it's not really as awkward as he's expected 'big sister hugs' to be.

"Sorry Hugo, for being an arse. I just …don't know what to do," she whispers, her moist eyes shining in the lightening darkness of his room. A slight pause passes as Hugo thinks this last sentence over. Then, grinning he steps back, breaking the hug, and looks up coyly at his sister.

"Well, I'm no Slytherin but if I were you…I'd get revenge."

She looks a little shocked for a moment and Hugo decides that this is a good thing. He thinks that she'd find his idea a little preposterous - an idea like this coming from a _Hufflepuff_? A Hufflepuff that is her _brother_ no less? Then, before he can think another word, she bursts out laughing and it's now laughter tears that she's wiping from her eyes. Hugo rolls his eyes, and grins again. That's his sister alright: temperamental and as emotionally unstable as a house elf on Butterbeer.

"What plan did you have in mind?"

He sits down again, and pats the covers next to him.

"Well you'll find out, won't you?"

-:-

**Review?**

A/N: Written for the Next-Gen challenge comp.


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